Painful Epiphany
by Hamaguri
Summary: For all his power, for all his love, there is one enemy that Inu Yasha cannot protect Kagome from. Everyone seems ignorant to the danger until a strange girl appears in Kagome's time and requests their help. Rated R to be safe (may get bad later)
1. A Girl and Her Dog

Painful Epiphany  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha, never have and never well. 'cause the powers know that if I did I wouldn't be wasting my energy writing stories when I could just make the characters do my bidding! WAHAHAHAHA! *cough* anyway, I don't own any of the movies/websites I reference either, so please don't sue me either!  
  
Fox: Are you done yet?  
  
Hama: Yes, I am.  
  
Fox: Good. *grabs Hama* 'cause I still need to reward you for actually posting something!  
  
Hama: *melt* uh, um, heh.*glares at audience* What are you waiting for? Go read the story! Can't you see I'm busy?  
  
AN: Okay, this is the first fanfic I've ever written that I've actually posted. I'm my own worst critic, so I never had the ovaries to put anything else up. But Dezi (my newly appointed beta reader) encouraged me to post it. I hope you like! BTW: the title is probably just temporary, the true point of the story doesn't emerge for a few chapters yet, otherwise I'd ask for help. Oh yeah, thoughts are expressed between asterix, since I suck at HTML and can't get italics to show up.  
  
Chapter 1: A Girl and Her Dog  
  
The sun, tired from a long day of shining, rolled over the horizon, painting the sky with orange, yellow, and tints of red. The black wings of the night bird spread across the darkening sky, scattering the stars over the world. A peaceful, warm, romantic evening. Nothing, it seemed, could spoil the beautiful serenity.  
"OSUWARI!!" I take it back.serenity shattered.  
Kagome snatched up her backpack and swung it over her shoulder with a quiet 'humph!'. She turned away from the crumpled mass that was Inu Yasha.  
Shippo bounded after Kagome's retreating form. "Kagome! Don't leave! You know he never means to be so stupid!"  
Her expression softened at the little kitsune. "It's okay Shippo. I'll be back in a few days."  
Reassured, he smiled. "Okay!" He walked with her to the old well. "What about Miroku and Sango?" he asked, just before she jumped in.  
"Like I said, I'll be back in a few days." With that, she slipped off the edge into the glowing time slide.  
"Kagome! Wait up!" The now recovered hanyou came to a screeching halt at the well. He glared at the kitsune. "She already went?" Shippo nodded, shrinking away from his anger filled gaze. Inu Yasha clocked him on the head.  
Shippo squealed in pain and alarm. "Whajya do that for?"  
"For letting her go!" Inu Yasha growled.  
Just then, Miroku and Sango appeared from the village. It didn't take a genius to realize what had transpired. Miroku sighed deeply. "What did you do this time?"  
"I didn't do anything!" Inu Yasha yelled.  
"I find that hard to believe." Shippo mumbled under his breath, which earned him more head trauma.  
"Well she wouldn't up and leave for no reason." Sango added.  
"Look, I thought I smelled. something. weird near the spring, and when I went to see what it was, she just HAPPENED to be bathing there!"  
"Oh! So you were peeping?" Miroku wore a sly grin, which earned the glaring of a lifetime from Sango.  
"I WAS NOT!!" Inu Yasha was fuming now. "I thought I smelled Kik-" He fell silent.  
Sango raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I get it now. You went looking for Kikyo and found Kagome instead. She thought you were peeping, but the real reason wasn't much better."  
He just stared at the ground, clenching and unclenching his fists. "Never mind." He snarled, and stormed off into the gathering night.  
Sango sighed, watching Inu Yasha sadly. "Will he ever get it right?"  
"Someday, maybe he'll learn." Miroku casually stepped closer to her. "Until then, all we can do is offer our support."  
She looked up into his deep brown eyes. (an: my IY calendar told me they were brown! Don't hurt me if I'm wrong! *cowers) He wore a sympathetic expression on his face. *Sometimes.* she thought. *He can be so-* Something warm and hand-shaped swept across her backside. *Perverted!* The faint sound of hand-hitting-face echoed across the darkening landscape.  
  
------------ Modern Day ------------  
  
Kagome yawned, struggling with all her might to stay awake. Two AM saw her still sitting at her desk, plugging away at her textbooks in a desperate attempt to catch up on homework and lessons. (an: okay, I'm no expert on how Japanese school works, okay. So I'm just gonna use what I know and make up the rest.so just chill, okey? Dude? Okey? NEway) Kagome's head began to sink. *I have a few minutes before homeroom starts. Maybe I'll just rest my.z-z-z-z-z-z.* she dozed off. The loud chimes, signaling the beginning of school, brought her abruptly out of her dream world. The once empty room was now teeming with teenagers. The homeroom teacher was late, as usual, so they had some time to socialize before roll call. The topic of conversation was of the girl that Kagome suddenly found herself sitting behind.  
"Oh! Awake now are we?" She smiled at the still half asleep Kagome. "Hallo! My name is Mikka." She extended a hand in greeting.  
Kagome quickly rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "My name is Kagome, Kagome Hiragashi." She said, taking the friendly hand. Mikka's expression slipped ever so slightly, but returned to the cheery face almost as quickly as it changed. *What was that?*  
"Nice to meet you. I'm not normally much of a morning person either, but I have half a liter of milk tea to thank for my alertness." (an: Mmm..milk tea.)  
"Well actually, I was just." but she was cut off as the teacher blew into the classroom, tossing her books on the desk and frantically searching for the roster.  
"Everyone! Simmer! Simmer!" no response "SIMMER!" she shrieked, getting an immediate reaction. Everyone quickly took their seats and shut their yaps. The teacher cleared her throat and brushed her shoulder length, white hair out of her eyes. "We have a new student joining us today. Her name is Mikka.uh.Mikka."  
The new girl jumped to her feet. "Just Mikka is fine." She smiled brightly and waved to the rest of the class. "Hiyee!"  
It was then that Kagome noticed the girl wasn't wearing a school uniform. In fact, she was dressed as far from the dress code as was humanly possible. A black, baby doll tee clung to her upper torso. The words "Trogdor! The Burninator!" accompanied by a poorly drawn dragon adorned the front. She wore black, baggy raver pants, with red straps, and black "skater" sneakers. Rubber bracelets of varying colors on her wrists greatly contrasted her dark outfit. Large hoops hung from her hears, accented by a second set of crystal bumblebee studs. Her flaming red hair, streaked with purple, flowed through and around the black bandana on her head. An almost imperceptible, lavender stud glinted on her nose, as well as a bar through her right eyebrow. Around her neck, she wore a modest silver pentacle (a circle with a star in it) as well as a ball choker with a flame thumb ring resting between its links. Her eyes were bright purple, the irises slitted, like cat's eyes. Her long nails were painted purple chrome, and the faded remains of a henna tattoo could be seen trailing up her left arm.  
The class gaped. Girls like this didn't come along every day, every year, every few years even, not at this school. The teacher coughed.  
"Uh.yes. Mikka? Where is your school uniform?" she asked plainly.  
Mikka just shrugged. "Dunno, never got one. Didn't know I needed it to be honest." The teacher lowered her eyebrows. "What? You don't like the way I dress?"  
"I don't know how they did things back in.where are you from again?"  
Mikka paused for a moment. "Uh, the US?"  
That seemed to explain everything to everyone. "Here, the students must attend school wearing a uniform." She scribbled something on a piece of paper, the color revealed to everyone that it was an office referral. "Go to the office at the end of the day, and they'll give you all the information you need." She handed the slip to Mikka. "Now sit down."  
Mikka swallowed hard and reclaimed her seat in front of Kagome. She grinned at the gaping Japanese girl. "First impressions are everything, ne?"  
Kagome couldn't help but smile. "And what an impression you made." she whispered. Her expression turned serious, noticing Mikka's strange eyes.  
"Contacts." Mikka answered, before the question was even asked. "I get that a lot."  
The chime sounded, homeroom was over. Everyone gathered their belongings and started making their way to their first classes. Mikka stopped Kagome out in the hallway. Her once confident expression was replaced with a look of concern. "Um.Kagome?"  
"Yeah?" *I wonder what's up.*  
Mikka seemed to hesitate, as if sorting out what she was going to say. "I.uh.my last school was really cliquey, especially during lunch, Do you think I could sit with you and your friends?" For a moment, it seemed to Kagome that she was going to ask an entirely different question. She smiled. "Of course!" Mikka brightened "I know how much it sucks to be in a new place where you don't know anyone." Her expression drifted as she recalled the first few days she spent in the feudal era. "Arigato gosa-i mas!" (an: I can say it, I just can't spell it) Mikka bowed, and then bounded off to find her first class. *She's a little weird.* Kagome thought to herself as she too, made for her first class.  
  
------------ Lunch ------------  
  
There was no shortage of odd looks and whispered curiosities wherever the new girl went. Kagome's friends were more than slightly taken aback when this profoundly different girl pulled a chair up to their table.  
"Girls, this is Mikka." Kagome smiled brightly as she introduced her. "Mikka, these are my friends." She introduced each of them (an: heck if I know their names!)  
They smiled nervously and said their greetings. They continued to stare at her oddly. Kagome nudged one of them under the table.  
"So!" she yelped, surprised. "Where are you from?"  
"Well, I move a lot, but before I came here, I lived in the US."  
The girls brightened. "Really? Why'd you move?"  
Mikka sipped a bottle of Peach Water while she seemed to be thinking of how to answer. "I dunno. Guess I just got a little bored with the place. I mean, they had all kinds of cool stuff there, I'm a total technology geek." She smiled brightly. "But it seemed like most of the tech action happened over here. So I moved."  
"Your parents just packed up and moved because you were bored?" One asked.  
Mikka blinked and looked around at the four shocked girls staring at her. "I.uh.don't live with my parents." She sipped her Peach Water again.  
"Eh!?" They all leaned towards her.  
"You live alone?" Kagome asked.  
Mikka raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, well no. Not alone. I have Nikademous." She rummaged through her pockets and pulled out her wallet. Flipping through the photo slots, she finally showed them one. A big, white, German Shepard lay in the grass, smiling a happy dog smile. (an: I LOVE when dogs smile, they look soooo cute!)  
Big white dog. Kagome couldn't help but be reminded of Inu Yasha. *Stupid pervert.* She scowled. *He wasn't even looking for me, he was looking for Kikyo. Inu Yasha no baka!*  
The other girls were too busy looking through the photos in Mikka's wallet, but she noticed the sour and far off look on Kagome's face. "Hey, what's the matter? Not a big dog fan?"  
"Uh.no. Well, I mean I like dogs. The picture just reminded me of someone."  
One of the other girls tuned in. "Ooh, really? Who?"  
"Judging by the look on her face, I'd say it was you know who." Another chimed in.  
Kagome turned bright red, her brow furrowed a little with anger. "That insensitive jerk? Please!" she folded her arms and sat back in her chair.  
Mikka just looked confused. "In the quiet words of the Virgin Mary, come again?"  
"Kagome's boyfr-"  
"He is NOT my boyfriend!"  
"There's a guy that really likes Kagome." She leaned closer to Mikka and whispered. "Kagome really likes him too, but we have no idea why. He's insensitive, bossy, stubborn."  
"Not to mention he's still chasing after his X!" one of the other girls added, all too enthusiastically.  
Kagome fell out of her chair. Mikka couldn't help but giggle a little. "But why does my dog remind you of him?"  
Kagome dusted herself off and sat back down. "I never said it reminded me of him. I just said it reminded me of someone." Everyone watched her waiting for an answer. "Hey! Tomorrow's Sunday, right? Let's go to the movies!" she desperately tried to change the subject.  
"Ooh, me like the sound of that." Mikka said. "Uh.that is, if I'm even invited to go." She looked at the other girls.  
One smiled. "Of coarse you are!" Mikka looked relieved. "What should we see?"  
They pondered for a few minutes. "How about Underworld?" Mikka suggested enthusiastically.  
"Why am I not surprised you want to see that?" Kagome gave her an amused look.  
"Aw c'mon! you can't all sit there and tell me you don't think that movie looks like good times."  
"What about Matchstick Men?" everyone groaned. (an: actually, I thought it was a good movie)  
"Cabin Fever?" scowl.  
"Once Upon a Time in Mexico?" slightly more enthusiasm (an: Mmm.Jonny Depp)  
"Pirates of the Caribbean?" everyone brightened.  
"Izzat still out even?" Mikka looked excited.  
"I should hope so, it just came out two weeks ago."  
"No way. I saw it at least a month ago." Mikka looked confused. The truth suddenly dawned on her. "Oh yeah! American movies come out later over here, I forgot!" (an: okay, I have no idea what's in the box office over there in the land of anime and cool technology, so I just used crap that came out here, okay? Ps: Mmmm. Jonny Depp AND Orlando Bloom.*melts*) She shrugged. "I certainly wouldn't mind seeing it again."  
"Okay, let's see that then." Kagome looked to the other three. They nodded enthusiastically. "I'll look up times and give everyone a call, 'kay?"  
Mikka whipped a piece of paper and a pen out from one of her numerous pockets. "Here are my digits." she scribbled some more "And my addy." She slid the paper over to the waiting Kagome.  
She studied the paper briefly. "Hey!" she said, recognizing the street. "You live right near me!"  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. I live in that huge shrine at the top of the hill."  
"Perfect!" Mikka said. "I sorta don't know my way around yet. Could we meet up and go in together?"  
"Sure thing!" Kagome smiled brightly.  
Just then, the chimes sounded. Lunch was over and students began cleaning up their lunches. Back to the salt mines.  
  
------------ Sunday Morning ------------  
  
Kagome whisked the brush through her now dry hair, putting the finishing touches to the look. Glancing at her watch, she suddenly realized how late it was. *Ack! I'm supposed to be at Mikka's in a few minutes!* She crammed all her beauty products into her bag and ran into her room. She tore into her desk, desperately searching for her wallet. She didn't even notice the hanyou crouched on her bed, glaring at her impatiently. After several seconds of scrambling, he started to get annoyed.  
"Oi!" He shouted, causing her to throw the papers on her desk everywhere.  
"Inu Yasha! Don't scare me like that!" She shouted furiously.  
"Well I've only been sitting here, being totally ignored!" he growled. "Come on! You've been here for three days already, it's time to come back!"  
She put her hands on her hips. "No! I'm spending some quality time with my other friends today!"  
Inu Yasha jumped off the bed, growling. "And what about your other friends, huh? We've only been sitting around waiting for you to come back!"  
"I'm over there all the time! I've missed a lot of school, I miss my family, and I miss my friends. I need to be here for a little while!" If she got any madder, Kagome's eyes would've turned a demonic red.  
Without saying a word, Inu Yasha swept her up and swung her over his shoulder. He jumped out the window and headed for the well.  
"Hey! Let go of me Inu Yasha!" She started to struggle.  
"No way. We're going back now!" he threw the door to the small building open.  
"Alright! Alright! I'll go! Just put me down first!"  
He reluctantly set her on her feet. Within a heartbeat she had one of his sensitive ears in between her fingers. She pinched a little, causing him to wince, and then proceeded to drag him to the well. With one final shove, he was teetering over it.  
"Kagome, what?" he was too shocked to defend himself.  
"I'll be back later tonight." she growled. His eyes widened. "Osuwari!" the prayer beads glowed and yanked him into the darkness of the well. She heard him yelp just before he disappeared. "And don't even think of coming to get me!" She turned to leave and tripped on something. "Hey! There's my wallet!"  
  
On the other side, Inu Yasha sat at the bottom of the well, nursing his pinched ear. Mixed emotions clouded his brain. He was mad with Kagome for pinching his ear, and 'sit'-ing him into the well, and not coming with him. He was especially mad with himself. *Why'd I try to force her to come back here? Now she'll really be mad at me. Maybe I do need to think before I act.* He was sad as well, that she would rather be over there with her other friends than with him. *She was right ya know.* The little voice in the back of his mind chimed in. *She really does spend an awful lot of time here, when she has so many obligations over there.* He growled at himself. *Aw, shut up!*  
"Inu Yasha!?" Shippo's voice called from above. "Did you bring Kagome back?"  
He jumped out of the well, landing on the little kitsune's head and squashing him. "No. She said she'd come back later on tonight." Fuming, he wandered off to sit in a tree and sulk.  
  
------------ Back on our side ------------  
  
Kagome climbed the stairs of the smallish apartment building. *Number 42.* She looked at each door. *40, 41, 42!* It was a plain, dark wooden door. Numerous deadbolts and other such locks adorned the aged wood. Although the neighborhood was considered fairly safe, it was still part of the city, and cities could be dangerous. She gently rapped her knuckles on the door. Loud barking followed the noise.  
"Just a second!" There was scrambling from inside the apartment. The barking continued. "Nikki! Would you calm down, it's just Kagome!" The locks began clicking and sliding. More barking. "Go lie down!" The noise finally stopped, and the door swung open. There was Mikka, wearing a dorm jersey, slippers, and a bandanna. "Hey, come on in. I kinda overslept, so I need to get dressed real quick, okay?" She let the door lean open and walked back to her bedroom. Kagome stepped inside.  
The apartment was small and crowded. The entrance opened into the living room, which in turn led to the open kitchenette and dining area. There was a short hall off to the left that led to a small bathroom, as well as a bedroom. Posters of all kinds, varying from band and movie posters, to anime wall scrolls, covered the atrocious paint job on the walls. The far window was shaded by a large sheet, tie died to look fiery, with Celtic knots around the boarder and a spindly dragon in the center. The furniture consisted of a couch and a few mismatched chairs that looked like they had been dragged out of the trash. (an: yay for big garbage day!) An old bookshelf had been reassembled to hold a disorganized array of technology, including a TV, DVD/VCR, and some game systems. Movies, books, and manga dotted the floor and furniture, along with electrician's tools and computer parts. Kagome had never seen such a mess before. *I guess this is what happens when you live without parents.I wonder what happened to them?* She was just about to ask when a deep growl caused her to freeze. Across the room, lying on an old sofa cushion, was Nikademous. He was much bigger than he looked in the picture, about one and a half the size of a normal German Shepard. His fur was pure, shining white, and looked as if it was really soft. He was probably the most handsome example of the breed that Kagome had ever seen. She was too frightened to notice, because this beautiful white dog was now bearing his sharp white teeth. He growled menacingly, fur standing on end, ears pressed flat against his skull. "Mikka?" Kagome squeaked. "Mikka?" But the aforementioned girl was too busy changing in her room to hear. Kagome pressed against the wall, eyes wide and frightened. She inched closer to the door. Bad move.this enticed the snarling canine to come closer. Sensing her fear, he decided to attack. He lunged foreword, snarling, claws scraping against the fake hardwood of the floor. Kagome screamed and threw her arms up in self-defense. Any second now and that beautiful white fur would be stained with the blood of the reincarnated miko.  
  
End Chapter One.  
  
Hama: Oh-hohohohohoho! I left quite a cliffhanger, ne? *dodges a barrage of flying objects* I guess you'll just have to R+R, 'cause otherwise I won't write anymore.  
  
Fox: You know Dezi will kill you if you don't.  
  
Hama: No she won't.  
  
Fox: Yes, she will.  
  
Hama: No! She won't!  
  
Dezi: Yes, I will!  
  
Hama: No! You won't! 'Cause if you do, then I'll never finish your Christmas/birthday present story!  
  
Dezi: *struggles to quell the tide of fury* Fine.Please R+R folks!  
  
Hama: Fox.  
  
Fox: *blink blink* What?  
  
Hama: Say it.  
  
Fox: Ha! No!  
  
Hama: *growl* Fine, fine. I guess I could always daydream about being with Inu Yasha instead of you.  
  
Fox: *jaw drops* You wouldn't!  
  
Hama: *nods*  
  
Fox: Please R+R! *eyes narrow* Bitch.  
  
Hama: *looking sweet* I love you? 


	2. Threads of Time

Disclaimer: Alas, I don't own Inu Yasha or any other movies/websites I reference or quote. I'd have a lot more money in my bank account if I did.  
  
AN: Well, I didn't get any reviews on the first chapter yet. *pout* so I posted this only because I had it written in my head already. That, and Dezi was gonna eat my skin if I didn't tell her what happened. If I don't at least get a few reviews I'm going to discontinue writing this story.which I don't really wanna do, but I'm not gonna waste my creative energy on something that no one's reading. I promise some nice juicy angst as the story goes on, I mean it! It may seem like a happy humor fic now, but it gets MUCH sadder. So PLEASE R+R! I don't wanna have to give this up!  
  
Last time, on a very special Painful Epiphany:  
  
Kagome screamed and threw her arms up in self-defense. Any second now and that beautiful white fur would be stained with the blood of the reincarnated miko.  
  
Chapter 2: Threads of Time  
  
Kagome cringed, waiting for those sharp white teeth to sink into her delicate flesh. It didn't come, however. Instead she heard a loud yelp of surprise.  
  
"Nikademous! What is wrong with you!?" Kagome opened her eyes to find that Mikka had grabbed the dog by the tail, stopping him in his tracks. It was a pretty amazing feat considering the size of the animal. "Kagome? I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"  
  
Kagome nodded nervously, shaking with fear. Nikademous had stopped growling, his ears dropped into a submissive posture, his fur relaxed. He was gazing at Mikka, whining. She glared at him, but let go of his tail, which immediately ducked between his legs.  
  
"Lie down!" she ordered, and he did as he was told. She loomed over the now cowering canine. She placed her hand firmly on his shoulder for a few seconds. The dog just lay there, unmoving, staring at the wall, and whined quietly. She smiled and knelt down. "Good boy." She said, and released him from the floor. He half sat up and started licking her face, still whining. She pushed his face away and grabbed a hold of his collar. "Give me your hand." She told Kagome.  
  
"What? Why?" She looked unsure.  
  
"Just trust me." Mikka reassured her. The frightened girl slowly extended her hand. Mikka took it and pulled it closer to the dogs head. Kagome tensed as he growled again. "Nikademous." She addressed the dog sternly. He stopped growling and looked at her. "Puppy." Was all she said to him.  
  
Nikademous flicked one ear, as if thinking. He looked back at Kagome, and sniffed her hand carefully. He considered her again, and then gently started licking her hand. She started to relax and stood from her crouching position. The dog's tail began to wag, and moved to lean against the now relieved girl. He whimpered a little and looked up at her, wanting to be patted.  
  
"That's better." Mikka put her hands on her hips and grinned. "Welcome to the pack. He'll protect you fiercely whenever you're around now."  
  
Kagome started scratching behind the dog's ears. He started making a strange noise. Kagome knew she recognized that noise from somewhere else, but she couldn't quite recall where. She giggled nervously.  
  
"It's weird though." Mikka scratched her head. "He usually only gets that aggressive when he smells dem-og biscuits."  
  
Kagome looked up. "What?"  
"Dog biscuits."  
  
Kagome raised an eyebrow. *Dog biscuits? It sounded like she was gonna say something else.* Mikka turned and started walking away to finish getting ready. Kagome gaped when she focused on what was on the girl's head. Nestled amongst the red and purple locks was a pair of dark colored cat ears. *Cat ears? Mikka had cat ears?*  
  
"Uh.Mikka?" she asked. Mikka turned back to see Kagome pointing at her own head, mimicking where Mikka's ears were. "What's with the.ears?"  
  
The girl hesitated for a moment, her eyes wide. She reached up and touched one of the ears, then smiled. "What? People don't wear cat ears in Japan? They're all the rage in the US."  
  
*Fake ears?* Kagome didn't believe it. It seemed to her that Mikka was surprised about Kagome pointing it out, as if she had meant to cover them up. *If they're fake, then she should have normal human ears.* Kagome squinted to find normal ears among Mikka's red hair. Sure enough, there they were, sitting right where they should be.  
  
"What are you staring at?" Mikka said, shifting under the miko's intense gaze.  
  
"Nothing! I've just never seen someone wear cat ears who wasn't at a cosplay."  
  
Mikka laughed. "You should've noticed by now how strange I am. Have a seat. I still have to give my hair a quick brush."  
  
Kagome pushed the dog away and sat down on the old couch. Nikki followed her and put his head on her lap, still eager to be patted. "You never give up, do you?" she asked the white canine. She ran her fingers through his silky fur and over his ears. He made the sound again. His tail began to wag and he smiled up at her. She couldn't help but giggle a little. "I wish Inu Yasha was as friendly as you." She whispered. The dog tilted his head to the side, as if he understood what she said.  
  
"Hey Kagome, do you wear a lot of jewelry?" Mikka suddenly came out of her bedroom. She was in the process of tying her hair back, some sort of necklace dangling from her mouth. The strap that held her ears in place was visible now.  
  
"Sometimes, why?"  
  
Finished with her hair, she removed the chord from her mouth and tossed it to the other girl. "I bought this thing a while ago, but I almost never wear it. You want it?"  
Kagome looked at the piece of jewelry. The chord was just a simple, black, silk chord. The actual bit of jewelry was a metal, heart shaped yin yang. One side was dark blue, the opposite, silver. The pieces were broken apart.  
  
"Why are the pieces broken?"  
  
"What?" Mikka asked, she was busy shoving a few items into a well decorated messenger bag. "Oh, you're supposed to keep one piece, and give the opposite to the one you love. It's like one of those best friend things, only it's supposed to be more intimate. I bought the darn thing when I was like.twelve. I don't believe in that silly stuff anymore. Plus I don't have a boyfriend, so I don't have a need for it." She got all starry eyed and folded her hands beneath her chin. "Maybe you could use it for your lover boy."  
  
Kagome threw a pillow at her. "He's NOT my 'lover boy'!" Mikka just laughed. She considered the necklace for a moment. It wasn't like she really believed in that stuff Anymore either, but it would be rude to refuse the gift. "Thanks." She said, and slid the necklace around her neck.  
  
"Aw crickets! Look at the time! We're supposed to be at the movies in twenty minutes!" Mikka grabbed Kagome's hand and dragged her out the door. "Nikki! Keep everything safe!" She closed the door without locking it, and proceeded to run down the stairs.  
  
"Is it okay to leave your home unlocked like that?" Kagome struggled to keep up.  
  
She just laughed. "No one messes with Nikademous. You learned that yourself."  
  
They barely made the bus in time.  
  
------------ Sunday Evening ------------  
  
"Goodbye Mom, Souta, Ji-chan!" Kagome called as she ran in the direction of the shrine. The day spent with her friends had rekindled her spirits, and she was eager to get back to the Feudal Age and tell Sango all about it. She pulled open the door of the shrine, and without hesitation, leapt into the dark depths of the well.  
  
She was unaware of the two pairs of eyes that watched her from behind the Goshinboku (time tree). "I hope this works." One whispered, glancing nervously at the shrine, then at their hand. A delicate, almost undetectable string glistened in the fading sunlight. It was no ordinary yarn. It was a thread from the fabric of space-time itself, an object that could rarely be seen or found. One end was magically fastened to the Goshinboku, the other followed Kagome through the well. "Let's go." The person said to their companion, and the secretive pair made their way to the shrine.  
  
------------ On the other side of the well ------------  
  
Kagome climbed out of the well as she had done a countless number of times before. She expected to find Inu Yasha waiting there for her, impatiently tapping his foot or something. Disappointment painted itself across her face as she realized she was alone. The sun was just slipping over the mountains, and the friendly glow of Kaede's hut beckoned her. She swung her engorged backpack over her shoulder and started walking. The tiny thread detached itself from the necklace that still hung from the miko's neck, and quickly anchored itself to the nearby Goshinboku.  
  
"I'm baaack!" she shouted cheerfully, pulling back the flap that covered the door.  
  
"Oh! Welcome back Kagome-chan!" Sango smiled brightly.  
  
"Kagome-san!" Miroku also looked pleased, though a hand shaped red mark glowed on his left cheek.  
  
"Kagome!" Shippo immediately latched himself to her leg.  
  
"Welcome." Kaede greeted her, and offered her a place to sit.  
  
She joined her friends around the fire, glancing to the other side of the room where Inu Yasha faced the wall. Kagome felt a pang of rejection. "Oi! What's your problem now?" She said jokingly.  
  
Inu Yasha obviously didn't think it was a laughing matter, because he jumped to his feet, fists clenched, teeth bared, anger stricken across his face. "What's my problem?!" He growled menacingly. "You wasted the entire day away when we could have been looking for shards. Then you forced me back into the well! It's sundown now, so we can't go looking for shards anymore, and you wanna know what my fucking problem is!"  
  
Kagome was shocked at first. With all the excitement and happiness of the day, she had completely forgotten that she and the hanyou had even had a fight. Her temper quickly caught up with the situation though, and she rose to the challenge. "Shards shards shards! That's all you ever talk or care about! I told you I needed some time to spend with my friends and that I would be back tonight! But all you ever think about is yourself!"  
  
"Keh!" He folded his arms and closed his eyes, looking stubborn as usual. "I think you're the one being selfish. Running off to gallivant with your silly little school friends. Kikyo would never waste time on such trivial things." The instant the last sentence was out of his mouth, he regretted it.  
  
"Inu Yasha." It was Kagome's turn to growl. "OSUWARI!"  
  
"Gyah!!" Inu Yasha's face was pleasantly introduced to the floor.  
  
"Hell hath no fury like Kagome scorned." Miroku whispered to Shippo.  
  
With a 'humph!' Kagome marched out of the hut. She needed some time to cool off, and a relaxing walk through the village seemed like a good way to do it.  
  
Back inside the hut, Inu Yasha was quickly recovering from the face plant. "K-k-ka-go-me." he squeaked out.  
  
Everyone sighed and returned to whatever they were doing prior to the incident. Fully recovered, Inu Yasha shook himself all over, then made for the door.  
  
"I hope you're going to apologize." Kaede advised.  
  
"Keh!" was all he said, as he followed Kagome's scent on the air.  
  
He quickly caught up with her. She was grumbling something to herself and had her arms crossed tightly in front of her. Inu Yasha paused momentarily to quell his anger, before confronting her.  
  
"Oi." He said softly, reaching out a hand to touch her shoulder.  
  
"Leave me alone!" she barked, and jerked away from his hand.  
  
He recoiled a little, startled by her intense reaction. Regaining his courage, he tried again. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said back there." He scratched the back of his head and looked sheepishly at the ground.  
  
"Good, you should be."  
  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. "Eh?" He sniffed again as he noticed a strange scent on coming from Kagome. Without thinking, he got down and started sniffing her all over, searching in desperation for the source of the smell.  
  
"Ah!" she yelped in surprise. "Inu Yasha!? What do you think you're doing!" She bonked him on the head with her fist.  
  
"Ow!" He rubbed the spot she it. "Don't hit me! There's a weird smell on you!" He cautiously sniffed the air again. "You smell like you've been around an inu-yokai!"  
  
"Um, hello!?" She pointed at him. "You're an inu-yokai!"  
  
"No no! A different one! And it's strongest right here!" He pointed accusingly at her lap. "Have you been with someone else?" He looked angry and hurt at the same time.  
"No!" She shouted. "You're the only one that I know of!"  
  
He looked a little relieved at that, but the relief gave way to alarm. He spun around and glared at the well. Pushing Kagome behind him protectively, he growled.  
"Inu Yasha? What-?"  
  
"Sh!" He hushed her and put his hand on the tessaiga.  
  
She watched the well with him, wondering what exactly was going on. She noticed his ears were twitching, as if listening to something. She strained her ears to hear what it was. She could faintly hear voices coming from the well.  
  
"Wah! I can see the sky! We did it!" Kagome's eyes widened as she recognized the voice. There was an excited bark and some cheerful laughter. Suddenly, a dark and a light blur sprung from the well, landing a few feet behind the confused couple.  
  
"Tadai-ma!" Mikka yelled, throwing her arms in the air and laughing. Nikademous play-bowed and barked at her excitedly, his whole body wiggling. They chased each other around for a few seconds, before falling to the grass. Mikka was laughing the whole time.  
  
Kagome couldn't believe her eyes, or her ears. "O-okairi." was the only thing she could think of to say.  
  
The newcomer quickly twisted her head around to stare in disbelief at the source of the voice. Her faced mirrored the exact way to pronounce "!!" (an: Just a few translation notes. "Tadai-ma" is what people say when they come home and "Okairi" is the appropriate response. (although I'm not sure on the spelling of either of them) so it's like: "I'm home!" and "Welcome back!" get it? Good!) Nikademous immediately went into protection mode, although his growling seemed particularly vicious with Inu Yasha there. Mikka jumped to her feet. "Um.hi, Kagome."  
  
"You know this brat?" Inu Yasha asked Kagome, who had stepped out from behind him.  
  
Kagome ignored his comment for the time being. "Mikka.what are you doing here? And since when did you get a tail?" Sure enough, there was a slightly bushy, striped tail protruding from the cat girl's backside.  
  
That tail lashed nervously as Mikka avoided Kagome's accusing gaze. "Uh.Well.It's kind of a long story."  
  
End Chapter 2  
  
AN: Well, there you have it. Tiny cliffy 'cause we don't know about Mikka's past. That's what the next chapter is for. Like I said in the beginning, I'm not going to keep writing if I don't get any reviews (even a few is enough to get me to want to keep going). Heh, can you guess who the other inu yokai is? I think it's pretty obvious. Please please please please review!  
  
Fox: You know what I think?  
  
Hama: *looks a little annoyed* no, what?  
  
Fox: They probably think it's a self-insertion  
  
Hama: But it's not! It's a filler episode fic! The kind where the gang helps someone and ends up with some Shikon Shards in the end. Wah! Don't think it's a typical SI, 'cause it's not. I myself dislike SI's especially when they do something annoying like totally change the plot around. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE KINDS OF FICS!!!! And there's lots of tasty Inu/Kag angst as the story goes on! *desperate* And fluff! Mounds and mounds of fluff!  
  
Fox: *hugs Hama* There there. Please R+R ppl, I hate to see a girl cry.  
  
Hama: I'm not crying!  
  
Fox: Yeah, okay.How about some pie?  
  
Hama: Oooh! Pie! *runs to the kitchen* 


End file.
